Even though he’s been busy fine-tuning War Horse and overseeing the dizzying myriad of other projects that his name is loosely attached to, Steven Spielberg has not neglected to keep one eye on the cast list for his next planned film, Lincoln. And now he’s added one more name to that roster, with David Strathairn signing on to play William Seward.

Seward was an outspoken abolitionist who supported Lincoln to the hilt and ended up serving as Secretary of State under the President in his famed Civil Wartime cabinet.

Strathairn is just the latest in a line of talented types joining the film. Spielberg already has Daniel Day-Lewis as the prez and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, in addition to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, John Hawkes, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Hal Holbrook and more.

Adapted from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s bestselling biography Team of Rivals by screenwriter Tony Kushner, the film is set to kick off shooting in the autumn with a release planned for late 2012.